During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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